Beyond SEO: What Veterinary Clinics Need to Know About AEO and AI Search

We know online marketing already competes with many other priorities, but the way pet owners find clinics is changing fast. Search engine optimization (SEO) strategies, like using the right keywords, still play a role in your website’s rankings. But technologies like generative AI and AI search overviews introduce new factors to consider. 

When potential clients ask Google, ChatGPT, or a voice assistant a question, they get an answer and a few select links to support it. Your goal is to be featured in those answers, which you can do by focusing on clear, helpful information for pet owners. 

The quest to become AI’s go-to source is called answer engine optimization, or AEO. So, what is a busy veterinary practice owner or manager to do? Here, our Shepherd team provides the guidance and clarity you need to balance SEO and AEO strategies while still completing your to-do list and getting home on time.

Search engine versus answer engine: What’s the difference?

SEO is a set of strategies designed to help your practice website rank well in online search results. When someone types “veterinarian near me” into Google, your SEO strategy determines where your clinic appears in the list of blue links. 

AEO is a newer concept born in the age of AI. Its strategy focuses on getting your website content to appear in AI-generated answers in Google’s AI Overviews, voice assistants like Siri and Alexa, and conversational platforms like ChatGPT and Bing Copilot.

When a pet owner submits a query, answer engines generate a direct response based on information gleaned from various websites. If your site contains helpful, trustworthy information, the AI may use your content and provide a link to your page. In some cases, the AI will directly cite its sources in the response, which can help position you as an expert and drive traffic to your website.

Writing for AI search

Veterinary marketing is something many hospital leaders struggle to find time for. As veterinary professionals ourselves, we understand how quickly the day’s tasks can add up. To avoid spending a lot of time or money on a whole new strategy, here are a few things you can do to optimize your content: 

• Answer questions — Structure blog posts and website service pages around commonly searched pet-related questions. Use questions as titles or subheadings and directly answer them in the content.
• Build credibility — Write in plain language and avoid cookie-cutter or templated web content or keyword-filled fluff. When you write blogs or informational pages, list a real veterinary professional with credentials as the author.
• Focus on readability — Break website content into easily-scannable sections with logical subheadings. Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and clean formatting.
• Update content — Regularly updating web content helps SEO and AEO, and newer content is more trustworthy from the AI perspective.

Improving local SEO

Answer engine optimization is great for visibility, but it works alongside local SEO practices to ensure the right people see your site. It’s great if someone in another state finds quality pet care information on your site, but the goal of marketing is to bring in new clients.  

Here are a few simple ways to boost SEO for local searches:

• Update your Google Business Profile — Ensure hours, services, and contact information are up to date, and add a few photos to your listing.
• Solicit reviews — Send emails asking for Google reviews after visits, prompting clients to mention specific services or people. 
• Reference location — Mention nearby towns or neighborhoods on your general web page, and post routinely about local events or hospital updates. 
• Update directories — Keep your hospital listing on sites such as AAHA, Fear Free, AVMA, or specialty colleges up to date. 

Support for increased visibility

A successful SEO and AEO strategy can help you build stronger relationships with existing clients and attract new ones. As your client base grows, Shepherd’s second-nature software will work alongside your team, quietly keeping communication, scheduling, and client touchpoints in sync, no matter how busy your day gets.  

Shepherd’s cloud-based software helps veterinary teams achieve an effective digital presence with a wide range of third-party integrations. And our intuitive interface and easy-to-use features integrate into your workflows to streamline your day, giving your team more time for what matters: caring for patients and building strong client relationships.

See the second-nature workflows for yourself when you schedule a demo with our experienced veterinary support team.